First-year law student attends UN Youth Summit to fight inequality

Casey Caines, a first-year law student at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, will lead and organize youth groups from all over the world during this year’s YOUNGA Forum Global Takeover of the United Nations.

The event — virtual this year, due to COVID-19 — draws young leaders from across the globe who turn ideas into concrete projects by collaborating with celebrities and NGOs.

“It’s not just including youth, but actually giving them power to do things,” said Caines, ‘22 JD. “The conference is saying ‘your ideas are valuable now.’ ”

The forum, which started September 28 and runs to October 25, is hosted by BridgingTheGap, an organization that aims to bring the world’s top decision makers and industry leaders together with young leaders. Partners for the event include the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, We Empower, the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust and the World Wildlife Foundation.

The forum started with youth delegates being connected with VIP speakers to discuss global challenges and co-create solutions. That was followed by a four-week leadership and training program. It closes with candid chats between influential leaders.

Caines will lead different workshops, using her leadership skills to distil all the different initiatives and ideas into a to-do list. She looks forward to hearing new and innovative ideas from young leaders from other parts of the world.

“I don’t have the lived experiences of other groups,” said Caines. “We need to sit around and pull ideas. What I might think is good, might actually not be.”

Usually, the young leaders all travel to New York to take part in the workshops at the UN headquarters. Despite this year’s virtual format, the global takeover features celebrities and large organizations, and rap artist Pitbull during the opening ceremony.

“I love virtual, it’s more accessible for a lot of people,” said Caines. “I don’t think I would have been able to go to New York.”

As an Indigenous mother from northern B.C., now living in Sexsmith, Alta., Caines is committed to using her legal education to fight inequality. She has an extensive volunteering background, which includes being the president of the Circle of Indigenous Students at the Grand Prairie Regional College, a board member of the Grand Prairie Friendship Centre, a writer and editor for the college’s alumni magazine, and a member of the Colleges and Institutes of Canada IMPACT Advisory Committee.

Caines also co-founded the Medicine Box Project, an Indigenous-created-and-led community project that enables Indigenous communities to find their voice by growing sacred medicine and using ceremony to empower themselves, and by connecting communities to end disproportionate rates of violence and suicide. The project offers 10 weeks of dialogue through knowledge keepers and Elders, opportunities to connect with other participants and community members, and access to medicine garden harvests.

“I want to be a part of creating a solution to inequalities in our system,” said Caines. “I’m pushing for addressing climate change and reducing systemic barriers.”